5. Rep. Young Introduces TWIC Delivery Act
Washington, D.C. – Alaskan Congressman Don Young has introduced H.R. 5227, a bill that would require delivery by mail of the Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC) if a permanent enrollment center is not accessible by road or is more than 100 miles away.
"Much of Alaska’s economy is derived from our ports, whether it be through cruise ships, fishermen, longshoremen, etc," said Rep. Young. "The TWIC is a very important step we are taking to help ensure our nation’s homeland security, however it is unfair to mandate that employees travel and incur personal expenses to obtain this credential…http://donyoung.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?
DocumentID=184440

7. NY Times: Regulator Deferred to Oil Industry on Rig Safety
By ERIC LIPTON and JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators warned offshore rig operators more than a decade ago that they needed to install backup systems to control the giant undersea valves known as blowout preventers, used to cut off the flow of oil from a well in an emergency. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/us/08agency.html

8. Gulf spill could have Alaska repercussions
The oil gushing from a Gulf of Mexico oil well has the potential to touch Alaska in many ways. Alaska is next in line, nationally, for offshore oil development in federal waters -- Shell Oil hopes to drill exploration wells in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas this summer, opening a controversial new frontier for the state's oil industry.

Investors' jitters over future offshore oil production could boost Alaska oil prices -- it happened Thursday, when the price for Alaska crude jumped by $2.70 to $83.97.

9. Alaskans return from support visit to Louisiana oil spill victims
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- University of Alaska Fairbanks professor Torie Baker and Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council staffer Joe Banta recently returned from a week in Louisiana.
The pair held dozens of meetings with locals affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. They shared their stories about living through the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, over twenty years ago.
Baker and Banta say the hardest part is not having answers for what the future holds.http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=12486758

10. White House Proposes Bill to Lift Caps on Offshore Oil Spill Liability
President Obama put his weight today behind legislative efforts to lift liability caps for oil spills.
The administration is sending a wide-ranging spill-response package to Capitol Hill that includes raising the $75 million cap on economic damages. It would also seek to accelerate assistance to people left unemployed by the spill, expand eligibility for food stamps and raise an 8-cent-per-barrel oil tax by 1 cent…
Also included in the bill:
- $15 million to guarantee that out-of-work fishermen will be compensated for lost earnings.
-$2 million to the Food and Drug Administration to monitor the spill's impact on seafood caught in the Gulf of Mexico. That could include deploying technology to speed the analysis of seafood samples for contamination…

The administration's proposal comes on top of numerous other bills related to the Gulf spill already introduced by lawmakers. Among them:

S. 3337, by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), which would amend the Public Works and Economic Development Administration Act of 1965 to establish a program to provide technical assistance grants for use by organizations in assisting individuals and businesses affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Environment and Public Works Committee is handling the measure.

H.R. 5267, by Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-La.), which would amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 to accelerate the increase in the amount of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease revenues that is shared with states. The bill was sent to the House Natural Resources Committee.

S. 3343, by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), which would direct the Interior secretary to establish an annual fee on federal offshore areas that are subject to a lease for production of oil or natural gas and to establish a fund to reduce pollution and the dependence of the United States on oil. The bill is being handled by the Energy Committee.

S. 3344, by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), which would establish an independent, nonpartisan commission to investigate the causes and impact of, and evaluate and improve the response to, the April 20 explosion, fire and loss of life on the Deepwater Horizon. The energy panel is handling the bill.

S. 3345., by Whitehouse, Menendez and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), which would amend Title 46, U.S. Code, to remove the cap on punitive damages established by the Supreme Court in Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker. The bill is in the Commerce Committee. (see item below)

S. 3346 by Whitehouse and Menendez, which would increase the limits on liability under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The Energy Committee is handling the measure.

11. Senators Whitehouse and Leahy introduce bills on Punitive Damages
Washington, D.C. - With oil continuing to leak into the Gulf of Mexico from a broken off-shore oil rig at a rate of 5,000 barrels per day, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse today introduced a series of bills to address this growing catastrophe. The bills would establish a commission to investigate the oil spill, lift limits on punitive damages against big oil companies, and raise the civil and criminal penalties associated with violating provisions of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

The Big Oil Polluter Pays Act, which is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would overturn the 2008 Supreme Court case, Exxon Shipping Co. vs. Baker, which slashed Exxon Mobil Corporation's punitive damages for the Exxon Valdez Spill. In that case, the Supreme Court held that unless Congress spoke, punitive damages under maritime law had to be limited to the amount of compensatory damages assessed in a case (the damages assessed to make victims whole). This legislation would allow judges and juries to assess punitive damages based on all facts in a case, without regard to the amount of other damages owed.

13. ADN on Copper River opener: Markets hope for plenty of salmon
RIVER OPENING: Copper River kings and sockeye are expected to hit shelves this week.
Last week's Copper River salmon opening left many people wanting more. With another opening this week, farmers' markets and fish shops hope to be packed to the gills with Alaska's bounty.
John Jackson of New Sagaya Markets says he's expecting good results from Monday's 12-hour opener.
"The first opener was not as successful as many people wanted it to be as far as catches went; hopefully it was better this go around," he says.http://www.adn.com/2010/05/18/1284290/markets-hope
-for-plenty-of-salmon.html

15. Senate approves Coast Guard spending bill
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Senate on Friday gave unanimous approval to a Coast Guard spending bill that includes an expansion of oil-spill-response requirements in Puget Sound and reforms to a multibillion Coast Guard contracting program sought by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

Senate passage of the spending bill also could set the stage for congressional approval of a sweeping overhaul of federal fishery-safety laws that are contained in a companion bill approved by the House.

Cantwell "strongly supports the fishing-safety legislation," and she will try to have it included in a final bill that would emerge from a joint House-Senate conference, said Katharine Lister, a Cantwell spokeswoman.

Cantwell is chair of a Senate subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Coast Guard and fisheries, but for the past four years she had been unable to gain passage of a Coast Guard spending bill. Some Republican senators had objected to certain provisions and pursued tactics that would have required a difficult floor fight to gain passage.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/
2011811255_coastguardbill8m.html

16. Science panel on cruise ship wastewater to meet –Juneau, June 10-11
Juneau Empire
JUNEAU - The state Science Advisory Panel on cruise ship wastewater treatment systems will meet for the second time June 10-11 in Juneau…
The meetings will be held in the Egan Room at Centennial Hall. They are open to the public.
More information can be found at www.dec.state.ak.us/water/cruise_ships/SciencePanel

18. Aquaculture moves inch by inch toward organic labeling.
…The ball is now in the court of the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP). For more than five years, members of the Aquaculture Working Group, 12 people who work on some aspect of aquaculture — feed scientists, environmentalists, industry groups and veterinarians — have written, hashed out, defended and otherwise shepherded organic standards for finfish and bivalve mollusks through approval by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which advises the NOP.

20.Council Coordinating Committee meeting, Anchorage May 19-21, Capt. Cook
North Pacific Fishery Management Council will host a meeting of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC), consisting of the Regional Fishery Management Council chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors on May 19-20-21, 2010.

22.Story of Yukon salmon earns award; catch share loans advance
And the Oscar goes to ... Yukon River salmon!
The story of wild Yukon River salmon claimed top honors recently by the James Beard Foundation at a celebrity-studded gala in New York City. Founded in 1986, the foundation celebrates and nurtures America's culinary heritage and diversity.
The award — considered the Oscar of the food world — was in the media TV Show/On Location category as part of a PBS series called "Chefs A' Field." The segment titled "King of Alaska" featured nationally acclaimed restaurateur and chef Rick Moonen, and was filmed almost entirely in Emmonak…http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/051410/fis_6_003.shtml

25. Skate Nursery HAPC proposals sought by NPFMC, NMFS
Call for proposals for Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPCs) and associated fishery management measures.
SUMMARY: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) and NMFS are soliciting proposals for candidate sites that could be identified as HAPCs and managed within Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The Council has identified skate nurseries as a priority for consideration during this call for proposals, and proposals must meet the identified priority…
DATES: Proposals must be submitted by August 16, 2010.http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-9569.htm

26. Comment by June 10th on NOAA's Arctic Vision and Strategy
The Arctic has profound significance for climate and functioning of ecosystems around the globe. The region is particularly vulnerable and prone to rapid change. Increasing air and ocean temperatures, thawing permafrost, loss of sea ice, and shifts in ecosystems are evidence of widespread and dramatic ongoing change. As a result, critical environmental, economic, and national security issues are emerging, many of which have significant impacts for human lives, livelihoods, and coastal communities. Though NOAA has numerous and diverse capabilities that support these emerging issues, a strategic approach that leverages NOAA's existing priorities and strengths, as well as those of our national and international partners, is needed. This document provides a high-level framework and six strategic goals to address NOAA's highest priorities in the region. It is based upon assumptions that the region will: continue to experience dramatic change; become more accessible to human activities; and, be a focus of increasing global strategic interest.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by June 10, 2010…
Federal Register: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-
11016.htm

27. Comment deadline June 4 on NOAA loan program subpart B changes
The Fisheries Finance Program (FFP or the Program) provides long-term financing to the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries for fishing vessels, fisheries facilities, aquaculture facilities, and individual fishing quotas (IFQs).
In this action, NMFS amends our regulations to reflect the statutory changes to the Program, and to provide regulations for two additional lending products.
DATES: NMFS invites the public to comment on this proposed rule. Comments must be submitted in writing on or before June 4, 2010. Comments will be accepted only on Subpart B. Subpart C is unchanged except for numbering, therefore, comments will not be accepted… http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-10270.htm

28. Comment by July 6 on SE AK Fisheries economic data collection
Much of the data required for regional economic analysis associated with Southeast Alaska fisheries are either unavailable or unreliable. Accurate fishery-level data on employment, labor income, and expenditures in the Southeast Alaska fishery and related industries are not currently available but are needed to estimate the effects of fisheries on the economy of Southeast Alaska. In this planned survey effort, data on these important regional economic variables will be collected and used to develop models that will provide more reliable estimates and significantly improve policymakers' ability to assess policy effects on fishery-dependent communities in Southeast Alaska. The survey will be conducted one-time only. The survey (mailed) will request data on employment, labor payments, and other expenditures from owners of 1,700 vessels that delivered fish to
Southeast Alaska processors in 2009…http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-10780.htm

29. NMFS data collection…Profiles of Fish Processing Plants in Alaska
The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public to comment on information collection: Profiles of Fish Processing Plants in Alaska
… The National Marine Fisheries Service's Alaska Fisheries Science Center proposes to obtain such basic information, as an accurate number of individuals employed at each
processing facility during the months of operation, the peak number of workers for processing various species by season, the ethnicity of processing workers, types of lodging…
Comment by June 21…http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-9114.htm

30. Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey – comment by June 22
Recent amendments to the MSA require the development of an improved data collection program for recreational fisheries. To meet the requirements of the MSA, NOAA's
National Marine Fisheries Service is developing pilot studies to test alternative approaches for surveying recreational anglers… http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-9423.htm

31.Comment deadline June 29 on MMPA standards for seafood imports
With respect to foreign fisheries, section 101(a)(2) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1371(a)(2)) states that ``[t]he Secretary of the Treasury shall ban the importation of commercial fish or products from fish which have been caught with commercial fishing technology which
results in the incidental kill or incidental serious injury of ocean mammals in excess of United States standards…
…This rulemaking would define the ``United States standards''http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-10158.htm

32. NPRB Ecosystems 2010 Conference Nov 8-11, Anchorage - Deadline June 4 for papers:
The North Pacific Research Board, along with regional and international cosponsors, announces the second call for papers for the 26th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium, Ecosystems 2010: Global Progress on Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management.
Call for papers: deadline June 4, 2010
Conference dates: November 8-11, Anchorage
Ecosystems 2010 will bring together fishery scientists, managers, and stakeholders from around the world to share insights into the current status and future prospects of ecosystem-based fisheries management.http://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/2010/wakefield-ecosystems/index.php
NPRB home page: http://www.nprb.org/

33. Deadline July 6 on Polar Bear Critical Habitat comments & draft econ analysis
USFWS Releases Draft Economic Analysis of Polar Bear Critical Habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today (May 4) announced a draft economic analysis of the potential impacts of designating critical habitat for the threatened polar bear. The Service also announced it will reopen the public comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Both measures will be subject to a 60-day comment period that will open upon publication in the Federal Register on May 5, 2010.
The draft economic analysis provides estimated costs of the reasonably foreseeable potential economic impacts of the proposed critical habitat designation for the polar bear through 2039. http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/criticalhabitat.htm

34. EPA seeks Comment on the Effects of Ocean Acidification as it Relates to the 303(d) Program
Background
The Federal Register notice (FRN) is asking the public to comment on the effects of ocean acidification as it relates to the Section 303(d) program. EPA is soliciting specific input on what considerations EPA should take into account when deciding how to address listing of waters as threatened or impaired for ocean acidification under the Section 303(d) program. If EPA issues guidance on the listing of waters as threatened or impaired for ocean acidification, the Agency is using this opportunity to ask for input on what are the specific elements EPA should consider in regards to monitoring and assessment. Other questions EPA is requesting comment on include:

How can States or EPA otherwise aid in monitoring ocean acidification and its impacts on marine life and ecosystems?

If waters were determined to be threatened or impaired for ocean acidification under 303(d), what issues should EPA and States take into account when considering how to address TMDL development for such waters?

What other Federal ocean acidification programs and initiatives should EPA take into account when deciding how to approach ocean acidification under the 303(d) program?

35. Comment by June 16 on Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund outreach and education
The Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development proposed changes in regulations in Title 3 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with Alaska sustainable salmon fund outreach and education program, including the following:

You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including potential costs to private persons complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Gail Dabaluz at the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Division of Community and Regional Affairs, P.O. Box 110809, Juneau, AK 99801-0809. The comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on June 16, 2010.
Proposed regs: http://commerce.alaska.gov/dca/pub/FINAL_AK_Sustainable
_Salmon_Regulations.pdf